FALL RIVER, Mass. (AP) — A Rhode Island man convicted of killing his friend and setting fire to his home after they had a falling out was sentenced to prison for life on Monday.
Sayyid Coggins, 44, of Pawtucket, was found guilty by a jury last week of first-degree murder and arson in the April 2014 killing of Justin Downey in New Bedford, according to a statement from the office of Bristol District Attorney Thomas Quinn III.
It was Coggins’ second trial in the case. His first, in December 2016, ended in a mistrial.
Downey’s body was found buried in debris after a fire at his home. His ankles and wrists had been bound with duct tape, his skull had been fractured, and a piece of cloth had been placed in his mouth, contributing to his suffocation, prosecutors said.
According to prosecutors, Downey had inherited $100,000 from his grandparents and he and Coggins used some of the money to try and grow marijuana. But when the marijuana plants did not grow as expected, they came up with another plan. Downey gave Coggins $15,000 to purchase drugs that he planned to resell for a profit, prosecutors said.
Instead of using the money for drugs, Coggins spent much of it at a casino, causing a falling out when he refused to repay the victim, prosecutors said.
After killing Downey and setting his bedroom on fire, the defendant fled to Georgia where he was tracked down about a week later, prosecutors said.
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